PHD beats MindShare to £50m AA media business

The AA has appointed PHD to handle its &£50m media planning and buying account.

PHD pitched against MindShare in a winner-takes-all contest after incumbent Manning Gottlieb OMD declined to repitch.

The agency will handle media duties for all three of the AA’s newly separated businesses: road services, loans and insurance.

The review, which was overseen by road sales and marketing director Kerry Cooper, was called at the end of November (MW December 2, 2004) following the AA’s acquisition by venture capitalists CVC Capital Partners and Permira in July. PHD’s appointment comes a week after Delaney Lund Knox Warren & Partners won the &£20m advertising and direct marketing account for the AA’s roadside business (MW last week). Rapier, which was the incumbent, retained the company’s financial services account.

Manning Gottlieb OMD won the AA business in 2002, following a pitch against Zenith Optimedia and Carat. It had previously held the AA’s car loans business.

The appointment was made by the then marketing director Clare Salmon – now marketing director for ITV – who was promoted to managing director of AA Financial Services before being dramatically ousted in October, once CVC and Permira’s &£1.75bn purchase of the business went through. Marketing director Emma Kenney was ousted at the same time as Salmon.